The List
by Miss Mango
Summary: What does it take to make Linka fall in love? Wouldn't Wheeler like to know! Join him as he ventures to find out the truth in this story...
1. Understood

After many years away from the fanfiction world, I am finally back. Just couldn't stay away!.I hope that everyone enjoys this story, please please please give me your feedback. You know I'll update quickly, just need the time to write the many ideas in my head.

Shameless plug alert: If you like this story, please check out my other story "Forces of Nature", all about W/L, of course!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Captain Planet, its themes or characters.

I do own, however, my ideas and my love of W/L as a couple!

"You told him _**WHAT**_?"

Linka's screams echoed off the walls of the common room, her angry jade stare piercing the Asian girl in place, like nails on wood. Gi tried to giggle, brushing it off with a wave of her hand. Still, she made sure to keep the sofa between her and Linka. Just in case.

"You told him?" The question was repeated once more, with no less fury than before. Suddenly, with executed control that was typical of Linka, a breath was taken and the question was replaced by an affirmation, as if to reassure herself. "Gi, you are joking, I know it."

"Uhmm, not exactly," Gi stated carefully, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"You told him about the list? He _knows_?" The Russian girl's heart took a dive in the hollow of her chest. One look at Gi confirmed her fears. She needed to sit down.

"He knows about the list," Linka repeated to herself in a quiet murmur. In a matter of seconds, however, her tone of voice became animated with anger once more as she asked her friend, "Gi, how could you? How could you not know that was meant to be something between you and I, which I did not want anyone else to know? Especially _him_!"

"Would you calm down, woman?" Gi rolled her eyes and sat next to her, taking a too-relaxed stance for Linka's taste. "What's the big deal? Wheeler and I were just talking about things, relationships, you know, and you came up. Well, you always do where Wheeler is concerned, and I just sorta let out your thing with the list."

Linka shook her head to prevent the migraine that was sure to come on.

"'What's the big deal?'" Linka quoted Gi, incredulous, pursing her lips like only she could and not realizing the cute nature of the gesture. "The big deal is that he knows and I will never hear the end of it now. This is so embarrassing… mortifying!"

Something that had seemed like such a good idea at the time had suddenly lost its charm, thought Linka dejected. Other people would just view her as foolish, ridiculous even, if they knew she had tried to _quantify_ love. The list, to explain things, was a series of feelings Linka had associated with being in love. After pondering long and hard on what she would like to experience with someone special, she had created the necessary conditions for love to take root. Kind of like a science experiment. "Grow your own piece of love!" She could already hear Wheeler say, in that mocking tone of voice he used especially with her, when he thought her ways strange. Well, gosh-darn-it, how else would a girl who had never been in love before know when she did, in fact, fall in love for the first time? There had to be some sort of formula, and well, she had created her own. Linka was sure her list was not complete, perhaps because of a certain lack of experience in the subject, but she had created the list to help her along the path to love. Like all other things, she would be ready. She would know. Nice and rational, just like she preferred things.

"Linka, it's not like I told him what's _on_ the list," Gi made to comfort her friend, seeing the desperation on her pretty face. "He just knows there is a list, that it exists, that's all. He seemed very intrigued by it."

Linka groaned, resting her chin on her opened palms. Wheeler. Sigh. Wheeler _and_ Linka? Sigh, sigh. How many times had she heard that phrase, just heard people tie their names together in a crazy game of matchmaking that seemed to go as far as the pair knew each other? Of course, Wheeler had started it all. His constant interest in her, in winning her over. The crazy Yankee was persistent too, confusing Linka more and more as time went on. He had something to him, something that drew her to him despite her best efforts to keep her distance. He smiled at her and her heart responded too eagerly with approval. He held her hand or drew her close to him and her mind froze for just that moment, leaving her to rely on her natural instincts. This frightened her, confused her. The list, then, also served to shed light on this Wheeler _problem_. As long as he did not make her feel those emotions, she was safe, she did not have a reason to think about him or plan things or let herself go too far. She was safe. Hence, she liked the list. And now, if he knew about it…no, there was no way he could 'crack her code', get inside her carefully constructed fortress. This was Wheeler, for goodness' sake! Her simple-minded, fun-loving, easygoing, impulsive Yankee boy…who could also be incredibly thoughtful and insightful when he wanted to be. Not to mention pretty damn handsome, more and more each day, in fact.

Sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh.

Linka sprinted up from the sofa and paced the confines of the room, her brain feeling at a need for oxygen. "What am I going to do? Oh, Gi…I think I could just kill you right now!"

"Cool, I'll help!" came the cheerful voice Linka feared and she turned in its direction. As expected, Wheeler was strolling into the common room, mischievous smile ever-painted on his lips as he rested on the sofa's armrest in his usual casual style.

"Ha-ha, Wheeler," Gi replied sticking out her tongue at him, but seeming relieved that he had joined the conversation. This way, she could easily escape Linka's wrath at least for the time being. In fact, Gi made to stand and raced for the door with what Linka could have sworn was a smirk. Traitor! But wait, Gi had the nerve to add, "I haven't been able to calm down your _girlfriend_, Wheeler. Maybe you'll have better luck than me. Ciao!"

Linka sent the Asian girl imaginary darts through her last glare. Gi had seemed exaggeratedly amused by this tragic turn of events. When Linka's eyes moved on Wheeler, she gave him credit for at least attempting to hide the grin on his face. "What's up?" he chose to voice instead.

"Oh, I no longer have a best friend in the group, that is all," Linka grumbled with a pout. "But I am just fine, as always."

She took a step but Wheeler grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her towards the sofa. "You're upset," he stated, wiping any trace of amusement from his features. "Will you tell me what's wrong?"

Lowering her glance to their joined hands, Linka took note of the warm feeling invading her body, the same one that persisted whenever Wheeler acted like this with her, when no one else was around, and when she indeed felt like the only person alive that mattered to him. Damn him. Giving up, she shrugged and sat down next to him. Only, she did not know where to start, what to say. After a pause, Wheeler solved this dilemma for her.

"Gi did something she shouldn't have done and she didn't seem to want to acknowledge that she has created a problem for you, which added to your previous state of hurt."

Damn him!

"I will never trust anyone with my secrets again," Linka stated, dejected.

"Oh…then, uhmm…ok…I already know what this is about."

Linka hid her face in her hands, wanting to crawl into the darkest, deepest hole imaginable, away from all sunlight and his eyes. She could not even bring herself to sneak a glance at him for he had to be grinning. He had to be thinking she was crazy, plain old cuckoo in the head. Who made lists of feelings as if they were a "to do" list, something to just check off? Crazies, that's who.

"Is it that big of a deal that I know about the list?" Wheeler asked, turning to her and examining her features. Her cheeks felt like lava on her face as she folded her arms over her chest, a protective gesture she often carried out in his presence when she felt he was getting dangerously close to her core.

"It is something very private," Linka quietly explained. "And you will just make fun of me because it is strange to you."

"Whoa, whoa, I'll have you know I'm not this big jerk who makes fun of things you obviously deem important. I may have done so in the past, but I like to think I have matured past that phase."

A sharp look from Linka silenced him.

"All right, I've matured_ a little_, give me at least that," he compromised and Linka fought back a smile.

"And I don't understand why this list thing is such a source of embarrassment for you."

Linka bit her lip and forced her eyes to meet his. She saw honesty there and her heart hushed its beating a little.

"Lots of people make lists about the type of traits they would like to find in a partner," Wheeler went on to explain, folding his hands behind his head nonchalantly. "You know, things like nice ass, killer legs, all that."

"Pig," Linka smacked his arm for good measure, but could tell he was joking to lighten the mood.

"Your type of list, on the other hand," Wheeler was continuing after a quick smile, "seems smarter, if you ask me. This way you are not relying on outside influences, you are basing things on what that person makes _you_ feel, which is concrete to you. What's wrong with that?"

"So you do not think I am crazy for creating such a thing?" wondered Linka, open-mouthed at his observations. This boy was like an Easter egg, full of never-ending surprises!

He shook his head, his eyes clear and very blue. "Crazy, no. Maybe too…I don't know…precise? Love is not a science."

"It is a personal science."

Wheeler nodded, seeming pleased. "Agreed. So, what sparked this? Or have you always had a list?"

Linka shook her head to indicate she did not wish to reply.

"Is the list based on past experience?"

Silence.

"What's on the list, babe?"

More silence.

Wheeler shoved her playfully and, "ok, Miss-Da-Vinci-Code, jeez, I get it, there's no cracking you!"

With a shrug, Linka picked up the remote control that was resting beside her and flicked on the TV, a symbol that showed she wished to bring the ludicrous subject to an end. They sat in silence while she mindlessly flipped through the channels, filling her mind with anything but the fact that Wheeler was sitting next to her, close, and aware of her interest in discovering love.

It wasn't long before Wheeler's voice broke through the manufactured silence. "I bet you I can figure out what you have on that list."

Linka's surprised glance met his sure one. Certainty, almost smugness, colored his grin.

"I do not think so, Wheeler. Not even Gi knows the details, so do not think you can get answers from her. Why are we still talking about this, anyway? This does not concern anyone but me."

"Let's make a deal," Wheeler went on as if she had not spoken at all , turning his body so that he was facing her.

"Wheeler…"

"Don't worry, I don't want to know what's on there. I simply want to make you _feel_ what's on the list."

Linka nearly choked on her own breathing and her green eyes widened as she looked at him.

"Are you getting a temperature? What is all this crazy talk?"

"Just hear me out," Wheeler insisted, cool and collected like only he could be in these types of situations. "I bet you that in two weeks' time I have your list decoded fair and square, by civilized means. You won't have to do anything, well, except for one thing, of course." He let silence linger, to intrigue her further, she guessed (damn him!).

"What would that be?" she gave in, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Linka, you're gonna have to _want_ to feel these things. That means giving up control just this once. That can be scary, I know that. But if you accept this challenge, I will accept mine."

Linka sat unmoving, paralyzed by his implications, his plans. How could one stare such destiny in the face and not feel overwhelmed? And to complicate things, this was Wheeler, the one person who took her on a daily roller coaster of emotions.

"Why should we put ourselves through this, Wheeler?" she voiced above a whisper, caution always reigning over her.

"Well, because honestly, I think we need to," he answered, mirroring her seriousness. "If I succeed, I can prove to you that I know you well enough to figure out something so close to your heart, that I can read you like no one else can, and that I am able to _move_ you, to make you react. That's powerful."

Linka thought about this for a few seconds, then went on to voice the inevitable, "and if you are not successful?"

"Then I'll know that I need to move on from this, from you."

His tone of voice saddened her, and it was ludicrous, the way her heart was rebelling against closure from something they had never even started. He must have sensed her state of mind because his hand was running softly down the side of her face, until it rested underneath her chin so he could turn her face upwards to meet his glance.

"Babe, give me this one chance. All you have to do is let go, I promise you the rest will come naturally. I know you have it in you to be that brave. Let me be _me_ and let yourself be the girl who wrote that list. Is the challenge on?"

She didn't need to give her slow nod for him to understand that she had accepted, nor did he need to kiss her cheek with such tenderness, for that matter, but they both performed their actions with a conviction that was admirable.

When Wheeler left the common room with a smile for her, Linka wondered what they had both gotten themselves into. She was terrified of what Wheeler had suggested she do, and even more scared that Wheeler would be successful in this mission. Just moments earlier, in the most natural of ways, he had already uncovered one of the key feelings she had put to paper, and that was the need to be _understood_. Oh, boy. She was in big, big trouble.


	2. Protected

AN: Thank you so much for all the love, you are all very sweet and welcoming. New chapter dedicated to all, enjoy!

**2. Protected**

Linka woke from her restless sleep with a jolt. Her eyes opened urgently and, immediately, she felt that something was wrong. She had fallen asleep as the sun was beginning to go down and was surprised to find that her room was now enveloped in darkness. Curious, she could not have been sleeping that long, it had been just a little nap, after all…

She reached for the lamp beside her bed, clicked the small button attached to it, but no light came. Very curious. Her ears registered the sound of the howling wind outside and what sounded like raindrops against glass. Swinging her legs out of bed, she made her way to the window and moved the curtains aside, heart beating more irregularly than she would have liked. The sight of a violent thunderstorm faced her, palm trees swinging from right to left like rag dolls, clouds heavy with rain brewing in the distance.

Suddenly, the piercing sound of thunder, loud and heavy, seemed to shake the hut, causing Linka to scream. She covered her ears with her hands and hurried away from the window, feeling a layer of sweat collecting on her brow. Her heart was now a jackhammer, her breathing forced to keep up as a result. A wave of nausea hit her stomach, almost knocking her down, and she felt the dreadful flashback knocking at the door of her consciousness. She wanted desperately to fight it, chase it away, but it was always so overpowering.

In her frazzled state, it took her more than a minute to realize that there was someone outside her door, knocking and calling out her name. Limbs heavy, as if moving in a dream, Linka managed to bring herself to the door of her hut, knocking over a few things here and there in the darkness.

On the other side stood Wheeler, a heavy-duty flashlight in hand, hair moistened by the rain.

"…hell of a storm, babe," Linka realized he was saying when she concentrated on his words. "Power's out and everything. Thought I'd bring you some light, make sure you're not tripping… get it? Tripping?"

Lightning and thunder animated the sky and Wheeler made to close the door, placing the flashlight on the nearest shelf he could find. Little did he expect that Linka would jump into his arms the way she did, almost knocking him down. He was about to make a typical sassy comment but refrained when he realized that Linka was shaking.

"Babe, what's the matter?" asked Wheeler, protectively wrapping his arms around her frame. "Is the storm freaking you out? I'm here, sugar, everything's fine."

Linka's only answer was in the form of tears, which were starting to soak through the front of his shirt. She could barely believe that she was acting this way in front of Wheeler, could barely take the heaviness of the situation and was glad when he scooped her up in one swift motion, cuddling her to his chest as he took a seat on the bed.

"I won't let anything happen to you, I promise, babe," Wheeler was whispering soothingly in her ear, rocking her body gently as if she were a child. "You're safe."

His body was warm and solid against hers, and she instantly felt safer, more at ease. But Linka could find no words to tell him for only tears came, and she did not know how to make them stop.

"Tell me what I can do," Wheeler voiced between one comforting caress and another.

Linka shook her head, surprised to hear her own voice forming the broken sentences uttered. "The storm…the sounds…like the night of my mother's death. There was a terrible thunderstorm. I was little…my father had put me to bed that night because my mother was not feeling well. The sound of the storm woke me up in the middle of the night and I crept out of bed into the hallway. I saw the doctor talking with my father just outside my parents' bedroom, my father was crying…the nurse was taking the bed sheets out of the bedroom, they were covered in blood… she had lost so much blood…"

"Oh, honey," came the reply, holding her tighter, closer to him. He kissed her tear stained cheeks as if he were trying to absorb some of her anguish. "Shh, darling…try to fill your mind with something else."

Thunder roared outside the hut and Linka buried her face deeper in Wheeler's neck, feeling like an utter mess.

"I know a trick that my mom taught me," said Wheeler, stroking the hair away from her face with gentle motions. "Whenever bad thoughts start to creep up, just think of a really happy memory you have, can be anything at all. Here, let me tell you the story that got me through some tough times, and then you can let me know if it got your mind off things, too. My favorite time growing up was Thanksgiving. I know what you're thinking, babe, and no, it's not because it's socially acceptable to stuff yourself worse than a turkey with all kinds of delicious food. Well, that's part of it. But mainly, it was because Thanksgivings were spent at my Aunt Sue's house. My mom, dad, and I would practically skip breakfast and lunch on that holiday and the head out to Aunt Sue's in the early afternoon. Now, Aunt Sue's a bit of a character, but, man, no one can cook like her. But don't tell my mom that. I made the mistake of telling her once and ended up with cake batter all over me. Man, was she mad! Anyway, I guess one of the main reasons I liked going over to Aunt Sue's so much is that my dad was not allowed to drink in her home because she's a Jehovah's Witness and doesn't allow any alcohol in the house. Thanksgiving was the one day a year when I saw my dad sober, not yelling or swearing at anyone, dressed up and even smiling. It was so wild, I couldn't believe how different he could be. _Human_, you know? So as soon as we got there, the guys would just all pretend to be into the football game so that we wouldn't have to help with dinner. I remember so many times we didn't even know who was playing, but we made up things to yell at the TV so that the women would think us busy and not bother us…it was pretty brilliant! We thought we were pretty smart. All the while, the house smelled delicious…of gravy, and spice, and sugar bubbling over. By this time, I was always starving and thinking of ways I could 'kidnap' the turkey. I would make elaborate plans, too. Like say that I had to move the centerpiece to the other room because the flower smell was making Granny's allergies worse, take the turkey out of the oven, hide it behind the centerpiece and then devour the turkey all by myself in the other room…so what if it always weighed more than me?"

Linka laughed. Her body relaxed in his embrace as she waited for him to continue.

"So, the main event, the turkey would come out of the oven, like this magical bird that was sacrificing itself for all of us. It could make a guy cry. Aunt Sue would ask my dad to carve the turkey, and boy, would he! He was good at it …made me feel proud of him, that he could have all those pairs of eyes on him and elicit so many smiles. It was a rare thing for me to see, you know what I mean? Logically, I would stuff myself beyond what is normal. Not only was I fuller than a department store on Christmas Eve at the end of the meal, I would have half a pie to myself to finish it all off! But no one could resist Aunt Sue's pumpkin pies. It was as if angels had helped her roll out the dough with golden rolling pins…I get hungry just thinking about them. After that, we would all gather around the TV to watch some family-rated movie none of us really wanted to see, but because we were so full and sleepy, the movie would provide nice background sounds for those of us that fell asleep on the sofa. My mom would wake me up from my nap and it would be time to do the 'round of goodbye kisses' with all my aunts and my Granny, which often took way longer than I liked, but it had to be done. On our drive back home, I'd fantasize about the next Thanksgiving and how grand it was going to be. Every year seemed to top the previous one, but don't ask me how. They were all great."

Linka shifted a bit in his arms and wrapped her arms tighter about his neck.

"I'm sorry that we never take Thanksgiving too seriously around here, you should have said something," Linka commented. "It is obviously a very important holiday for you, you have such wonderful memories around it. Next Thanksgiving, I will cook a turkey for you. I will even attempt to bake a pie, but you have to help me with that. Deal?"

She felt him smile before placing a light kiss on her forehead.

"Deal."

A comfortable pause followed, then Linka recounted, "I'm thinking about my happiest childhood memory. I woke up one morning to find everything covered in snow. It was so beautiful! There were mountains of it. My cousin, Mishka, had slept over at our house that night, so I went to wake him up because I was eager to go out and play in the snow. School had been cancelled, naturally. We dressed quickly, and I was surprised to find my father in the kitchen, drinking coffee with my mother. I never usually saw him in the morning because he was off to the mine at a very early hour, before anyone else woke up, so I ran to him that morning and gave him a kiss. It had snowed so much that the mine had closed that day. This never happened, so for me, it was a big treat. My father took Mishka and me out and we spent the morning building snowmen, throwing snow at each other, running around, and just being very silly. At one point, my mother came out of the house with a big container of things we could use to decorate the snowmen, things like carrots and chestnuts, hats and scarves, buttons, all kinds of things. When we were all too tired to even stand anymore, we all went inside the house and my mother served us hot soup, which never tasted better on such a cold day. I went to bed that evening with my cheeks hurting from smiling so much the entire day."

"I'd be smiling, too, if school was cancelled," Wheeler joked and she shook her head at him, good-humouredly. Linka closed her eyes, noting that the storm outside had subsided. Her mind, however, was miles away from the weather conditions outside her hut because she felt warm and safe in Wheeler's arms. _Protected_. The way he had come to her aid, taking on her fears, fighting alongside her, leading her out of darkness like a brave warrior…what to say of his ability to soothe her? Only he would be able to make her laugh in such a time of crisis. These thoughts were slowly running through her head while Wheeler was rubbing her back with circular motions.

"Sweetheart, do you want to try getting some sleep?"

Linka yawned in response.

"I'll take that as a yes." Wheeler moved to place her gently on the bed, so that her head was resting on the pillows. When he moved to detach himself from her, Linka took his arm and opened her eyes to look at him.

"Jacob, stay."

His body hovering over hers, he let their glances intertwine. In the dim light, she saw the sparkling blue of his eyes. A hushed atmosphere had filled the room, perhaps because of the affectionate tone of voice Linka had used, or the intimate way she had said his name.

"I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her, lying down next to her and readily embracing her to him. Linka sighed contently and fell asleep against him, with no trace of worry or fear in her mind.


	3. Jealous

**3. Jealous**

Babe,

leaving your side this morning was absolutely dreadful. If I had my way, I would have laid in bed with you all day. But, alas, that's not to be when you're a Planeteer (I knew there was a catch!). Today is the day I go to Washington to deliver those reports to the Parliament Office, otherwise Gaia will unleash her full wrath on me, and then what would you do without me? I'm looking at you as I'm writing this note… do you know how beautiful you are? You look like an angel with your blonde hair resting all over the pillows, you seem very peaceful. So I must have done not too bad last night? I, myself, had the best sleep ever because I got to hold you the whole night. It doesn't get any better than that.

I gotta run now but I'll see you in two days. Try not to miss me too much. You know I'll miss you.

Kisses, hugs (and _many other _things I can't write here for fear you'll smack me when I get back)

W

The day progressed slower than Linka had hoped it would. Somehow, she knew it was linked to Wheeler's absence. She had felt a strange void ever since she had waken to discover he was not by her side. His note had made her smile and she had found herself reading it more times than necessary. Damn Yankee.

Linka was thinking about the challenge they had agreed upon as she made her way to Gaia's Crystal Chamber. Her behavior last night, was that due to their accord? Had she been more free with her emotions because she had promised Wheeler so? What she knew with certainty was that her emotions had been _real_, that she had wanted him to spend the night beside her. _Needed_ him, in fact. Not only that, he had acted the perfect gentleman and she had not felt the least bit threatened by his presence. It was important that she could trust him.

Wheeler was still on her mind when Linka entered the Crystal Chamber. "Gaia?" Linka called out, but no answer came. It was empty. The room was filled with monitors and images, all depicting different habitats of the world. Diverse news channels could also be heard in the background, their sound collecting into a murmur. Wheeler had always joked that this room was like a touch-screen phone commercial, with its high technical content, and this description was not far off. Linka glanced at the convoluted monitors and computer screens that flashed codes even she could not make out.

"Gaia, are you in here?" Linka voiced as she made her way through the impressive room. She saw there was a red velvet curtain in the far left corner hidden partly by a large bookcase, something she had failed to notice before. Following her curious instincts, she drew the curtain aside and saw five monitors, a symbol engraved over each one. Fire, earth, water, wind and heart. Astonished, Linka understood this to be a special system that was linked to the Planeteer rings, a remarkable device that showed Gaia what the bearer of the element was experiencing. The _wind_ monitor was black, inactive, and Linka looked down at her right hand. She was not wearing her ring. She saw the _earth _monitor glowing as it showed Kwame in the green house. He was in his element. Same with the _water_ one because Gi was shown on her surfboard. Wiping out, yet again. The _heart_ monitor gave a weak image of Ma-Ti as he was taking a nap.

Linka's attention moved to the _fire_ monitor, where it displayed the image of Wheeler driving down an interstate road, his head bobbing to the rock tunes that filled the Jeep. A smile played at the corners of her mouth in seeing him, and she could not explain the reason behind it. It was automatic when it came to Wheeler.

A couple of uneventful minutes went by and Linka was thinking she should probably leave that area. She was sure none of this was meant for her eyes and she did not want to upset Gaia. That was usually Wheeler's job. About to turn away from the screens, Linka noticed that Wheeler had brought the Jeep to a stop. He was asking someone if they needed a hand. There was a red convertible off to the side of the road with its hood up.

"Yes, hello!" came the grateful reply of a female voice. "You may just be the savior I was waiting for. My cell phone is dead and there isn't a lot of activity on this road. I knew I should have stuck to the freeway."

Linka saw that the woman was young, and well, pretty. _Yes, one could say that_, she reflected, noting a twinge of bitterness in her thought process. The owner of the convertible was tall and shapely, blue eyed with a black bob and short bangs. She was wearing a short navy blue dress with tan boots. Linka noticed her eyeing Wheeler underneath long black lashes as he got out of the Jeep.

"Lucky for you I'm in the business of saving lives," Wheeler grinned at her, too dashingly in Linka's opinion. He placed himself in front of the popped hood and his hands went immediately to work.

"I noticed smoke coming from the engine so I pulled over right way."

"Smart move."

"What do you think the problem is?" asked the woman, peeking at the exposed engine.

"Your radiator's out of water," diagnosed Wheeler, unscrewing a valve. "And the timing belt here has gone off course. Minor problems, don't worry."

"Are you a mechanic?" she asked with awe in her voice.

"Nah, I just love cars and messing with 'em," smiled Wheeler. He fetched a bottle of water from the Jeep, twisted the cap, and emptied it into the convertible's radiator.

"You from around here?" he asked, swiftly giving her body a once-over appraisal. He seemed pleased.

Linka, on the other hand, was not. She felt the warm glow her heart had carried the entire morning fade a bit, felt more awkward in her T-shirt and sweat pants ensemble, and more irritable than she had been in days. Was Wheeler interested in this girl? Sure, she was attractive and trendy, and maybe his was just a natural male reaction to pretty things. It was irrational but Linka wished he would just stop talking to her. Get away from her. Fix her stupid car and go. This was _all _stupid. Arghh.

"I'm actually from Chicago," came the smiley reply to Wheeler's question. "I'm in the capital for work, I'm a journalist. My name's Carly Simon, by the way."

She held out her hand to him and he shook it.

"Wheeler."

"That's an unusual name."

"More of a nickname I got in high school. It just stuck." A wrench had materialized in his hand and he was now bending over the hood of the car.

"You're definitely not from around here…New York?" guessed Carly, closing the distance between them as he worked.

"Brooklyn. I'm also here for work."

"Funny, ain't it? How people meet up sometimes? Like from different parts of the country?"

Wheeler nodded. "Or different parts of the world."

Linka's heart gave a little cry of approval at his comment. It somehow made her think that she was not as forgotten as she felt. She realized she was biting her fingernails and took a deep breath to calm herself down. For heaven's sake, what was wrong with her? It was ridiculous how her emotions could travel in so many opposite directions. Truly amazing, indeed. But this Carly girl had to go away. And soon. Linka just…disliked her, that's all. She did not like her confidence and the way she smiled at Wheeler. She was trouble.

"How long are you in town for, Wheeler?"

"Not very long at all, I'm leaving in the morning," he replied, seeming satisfied with his work and shutting the hood of the car to a close.

"Well, now how am I going to thank you for saving me, with you leaving so soon?"

"It wasn't a problem at all," he shrugged, wiping his hands down the front of his jeans.

"Nonsense. Come out for a drink with me tonight so we can even out the situation a little more," Carly suggested with a flirtatious smile.

_Whore! Whore! Whore_! Linka's mind was screaming, her nails digging into her palms.

"I would be very surprised if a beautiful girl like you did not already have plans for the evening."

_Ass! Ass! Ass!_

Carly giggled and tossed her head a bit. "I can pencil you in, don't worry. I'm feeling very… inspired."

"Look, Carly, thank you for the invite. I'm very flattered, but I don't think that's such a good idea."

Linka exhaled the breath she did not even know she was holding, her lungs on fire. Relief washed over her in the form of tidal waves.

Meanwhile, Carly had taken Wheeler's left hand to examine it more closely.

"I don't see a wedding ring on here. What's the problem?"

Wheeler's face registered signs of discomfort as he slowly pulled his hand away from Carly's. "It's complicated."

"Hmm," she answered, cocking an eyebrow. "It's really a shame. You're too adorable to be stuck chasing after complicated things. You should stick to what's easy, honey."

Now Linka felt justified in completely wanting to knock this woman down. How could she be saying such things to a complete stranger? She was shocked at Carly's forwardness, her insinuations, and general behavior. How _dare_ she be offering herself to Wheeler so shamelessly? Linka felt like a boxer in her corner, filled with adrenaline for the oncoming fight.

Carly lit the cigarette that was resting between carefully painted red lips before exhaling deeply, as if she had all the time in the world. "Listen, Wheeler, I don't know what you have going on, what your situation is or whatnot. I'm just proposing a fun evening together… maybe to get your mind off things? Think about it. I'm staying at the Carlton Plaza Hotel," said she, not without a touch of innuendo.

Wheeler shook his head, to clear his mind it seemed, before replying, "I have to get going, Carly. Your car's as good as new so there's no reason for me to be sticking around."

She leaned against the hood of her car and examined him, a very amused expression on her features. "Thank you, Wheeler. Maybe I'll see you again?"

"Goodbye, Carly."

Wheeler hopped into the Jeep and swiftly put it into gear. The image of Carly was becoming smaller and smaller in his rearview mirror. He took a deep breath and, "oh, man!" he exhaled. "Linka, you've got the _craziest _hold on me, babe," he muttered to himself. Shaking his head in disbelief, he moved to turn on the stereo. Moments later, he was humming along to the music as if the whole incident had never happened.

Linka turned away from the monitors and exited the Crystal Chambers, unnoticed.


	4. Comfortable

**4. Comfortable**

Glancing at the clock beside her bed, Linka suppressed a yawn and switched the phone to her other ear. She had been talking with her childhood friend, Danya, for the past hour, a sure sign that both girls were extremely chatty with one another. Linka liked to listen to Danya as she narrated all the events of their hometown, how it always seemed to change but, in the end, really stay the same. There were times when Linka felt a wave of homesickness for the people and places she loved, but she knew that she had grown beyond what her hometown could give her. She had never particularly liked the quiet, predictable life it offered. Danya, on the other hand, seemed more than content with her role as a housewife, perhaps because she had just married and was still in the process of adjusting to the daily routine that came with it.

"You will come home for Christmas, da?" asked Danya in their native tongue, not before reminding Linka that she had missed last year's Christmas celebrations.

"The giant oil spill did not seem to take note that it was Christmas time," replied Linka. "Environmental catastrophes can happen at any time, Danya, and we have to be ready."

"Grandmuska could find no peace at the dinner table. She kept repeating, 'if Linka were here…'. It became really morbid at one point, made us all feel like you'd died. We all waited for her to bring out a framed photograph of you and light a candle by it, in memory of you."

Linka laughed.

"I'll try my best to make it this year, there are still a couple of months to try and plan things out."

"You know that you are welcome to bring your friends along. The more the merrier."

"Da, we always end up inviting each other over at Christmas time, it is the one holiday we all have in common, it seems."

"You know that Grandmuska was asking after the American the other day? She wants you to invite him for the holidays. Linka, you need to! I can't believe I still haven't seen him, it's utterly unfair to deny your best friend that, you know."

"It's your own fault you were on your honeymoon when the Planeteers were in town," replied Linka in her defense. It was also not her fault that her Grandmuska had taken a liking to Wheeler, despite her limited knowledge of the English language. Perhaps this was for the best, however, because she had talked incessantly of how 'good-looking' and 'sunny' Wheeler was, and 'nice' too, and that her granddaughter should sit beside him at the dinner table, and serve him like a woman should a good man, and all kinds of other things that Linka would never live down had Wheeler understood any Russian.

"Don't make me plan some crazy environmental disaster here in town just so I can see him, Linka," Danya was badgering her. "You know I would be capable of that."

"I know, I saw you using your twenty cans of hairspray per day, remember?"

"May I remind you, while you are being funny and lighthearted, some other woman is planning how to steal your American sweetheart away from you. The way Grandmuska describes him, you either have a firm grip on him or someone else will. Well, do you?"

"Why is it we can't have one conversation without talking about this subject?" complained Linka, carefully observing her freshly painted nails. They were light pink.

"How can you not _know_ if you are together or not?" Danya went on, exasperated. "You can tell from one look. I knew that Nic was for me the first time our glances met."

"Danya, he was married at the time!" Linka exclaimed, still finding it hard to believe that Danya had gone from being someone's lover to someone's wife in the span of one year.

"I'm just saying, when you know, you know."

"Well, some people are not as readily convinced as others," was the matter-of-fact response Linka offered.

"What do you feel for this guy? Do you at least know that? You must have kissed him. Come on, Linka, tell me you have… at least that!"

"Maybe," said Linka mysteriously, taking note that there was a certain sense of satisfaction in being difficult. She was not sure she had the answers Danya was looking for, the spicy details she was hoping to uncover. Like some twisted scoop. Just yesterday, when Wheeler had returned hours before his expected arrival, Linka had found herself running towards him, and he had lifted her up in his arms and twirled her about like a kite. She had been laughing, feeling happier than she had expected. Purely joyous, in fact. Then again, her emotions for Wheeler, or better, the _strength _of her emotions for Wheeler, always surprised her. To her, he was kind of like the first day of holidays after a long, hard year of work. _But, you know, no big deal_, she kept reminding herself, stubbornly.

Linka had been smiling and their faces had been inches apart. They had been speaking, she could not remember the exact words now, when he had given her a quick kiss on the lips. Soft and warm. She remembered he had examined her face closely for a reaction afterwards, but she had not readily offered one. The feel of his lips had lingered on hers, and her mind had gone hazy. Linka had had no time to process the incident for the other Planeteers had started to come forward to greet Wheeler, and the pair had been forced to separate.

"Danya, I'm really sorry, but I have to get going now," spoke up Linka, lightly brushing her lips with her fingers at the memory of the kiss. It was getting late and she still had to get ready for bed. "I'll call you when I have more news to report."

"You won't have much news to report if you keep putting up obstacles for yourself," chided her friend. "But…I trust that you know what you are doing. You are stubborn, but also very bright. Just believe in your ability to…let's say, _conquer the Americas_."

"Goodbye, Danya." Click. Nevertheless, Linka was smiling.

Once she had hung up the telephone, she saw that she had a message waiting for her.

'_Night, hottie. Don't forget about our run tomorrow morning. _

It was sent about an hour ago. Gi. No use in replying now, she was probably already asleep, rationalized Linka. She, herself, was not particularly sleepy, but changed into some pajamas, a cute shorts and tank top combo, anyway. She went on to wash off her makeup, brush her teeth, and take her hair out of her usual ponytail. Linka had just finished brushing its length until it laid pretty and loose on her shoulders, when her phone announced she had another message. Probably Gi, wondering why she had not written back, guessed Linka, plopping down on her bed with cell phone in hand. The message, however, was from Wheeler this time.

_Midnight. Common room. Dress code: pj's (unless you want clothing to be optional?);P_

Linka wondered what the crazy Yankee had in mind now as she replaced the phone on her nightstand. She glanced at herself in her full length mirror, wondering if this was possibly any sort of proper attire for a 'date' (_wait, is that what it was?). _Totally simple, totally _comfortable_. It mirrored exactly how she felt. A shrug. If Wheeler could be this spontaneous, then so could she. Just in case, she ran a hand through her hair and adjusted her top a little before reaching for the door handle.

Her heart was beating a little more rapidly as she ran the short distance to the common room. The night was beautiful and with the soft grass underneath her bare feet, Linka felt more alive than ever. That was another thing she had discovered when it came to Wheeler. It did not matter if they were fighting, or if he decided to kiss her all of a sudden, the result was that he made her come alive, a sort of strange, intoxicating adrenaline that was exclusive to his presence near her.

Wheeler was lighting the last of the small candles that provided the dim lighting when she entered the common room. He noticed her and smiled, a mixture of surprise and delight on his features. He had not known whether she would have accepted the offer, guessed Linka, secretly pleased that he could worry about such a thing.

"I knew you'd be clothed," he teased, walking towards her. He was wearing a blue cotton T-shirt to match his pajama pants.

"Dork," Linka had to roll her eyes at his humor. He had already taken both of her hands to lead her to the center of the room. On the coffee table was a spread of snacks that could make a member of Jenny Craig cry. Chips and freshly popped popcorn, gummy bears and brightly colored candy, chocolate raisins and peanut butter cups. There was also a champagne bucket filled with ice, only a bottle of Coke was being chilled.

Linka laughed, unable to contain herself. "What is all this, Yankee?"

"Movie night, babe. Can't watch a movie without snacks."

Wheeler sat her down on the sofa and produced a few DVDs for her to examine.

"Now, I'm letting you pick the movie because I know you'll be fair. This one, for example," he went on, placing a DVD in her lap, "is a solid guy movie. Excellent choice, in my opinion. No frilly stuff, just lots of fighting, the occasional hot girl, standard explosions, all that."

Amused, Linka gave him a playful look and tossed the movie aside.

"Ok, I get it," he rolled his eyes at her. He selected another one and held it up for her to see. "This one's a documentary. Looks interesting, you're probably thinking. Well, I know I'll fall asleep through it and then you'll have to finish _all_ these snacks by yourself. Might not be a wise idea."

Linka, with a sigh, tossed that one aside, as well.

"Very good," grinned Wheeler. "Next, we have this sappy flick. Not sure about the details, but judging by the cover, this is probably more painful than the documentary."

With a shrug, Linka placed that one with the others.

His grin was wide for her. "This is why _you_'re here and not some other girl, babe."

"At least you are easy to please. Let me see the rest of the movies, maybe there is something you will watch in there."

They compromised on a romantic comedy that was more comic than romantic, and that seemed to suit them just fine. In a matter of minutes, Linka's head was resting comfortably against his chest, his arm draped over her shoulders, the other one placed around her waist, holding her in place. Linka continued to be astonished at how _easy_ it was to be with Wheeler, how uncomplicated, natural and… _right_. Just right. She had no cares in the world as she watched the onscreen action, nibbled on warm popcorn and listened to the steady beating of Wheeler's heart. She was not worried about the way she looked, that she had no makeup on or fancy shoes that aimed to impress. She could just _be_.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come," Wheeler voiced in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck. Linka's top had ridden up over her waist and he was making slow circles with his fingers on the exposed skin of her abdomen.

Linka was very distracted by his touch, causing a delay in her response.

"I do not see why I would not," she finally let out when she found her voice.

"I'm glad you're here," he revealed while hugging her closer to him.

Linka wished she had the courage to lift her head and look into his eyes, but at present, it eluded her. She was almost afraid of what she would see there. It was already present in his voice. Worse yet, she did not want _him_ to see what lay in _her_ eyes. A truth that could barely be hidden anymore, but that the Russian girl protected jealously like a new mother. His touch, his nearness…all of it was playing havoc with her senses. She needed time to make sense of it. With being open, like she was allowing herself to be, came feelings that Linka did not know how to categorize. This caused her to be unsure of herself; it was all new to her. And with all new things, caution. For the moment, she was content to be in his arms and enjoy his attentions. However, she could not ignore the little voice inside her head that told her she needed more, wanted more from him. For his glance to linger a bit longer on her, for his touch to become bolder, for him to kiss her like…

Linka closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. _Enough_! she ordered her mind, silently. _No point in making a scene now. Just enjoy the movie. Besides, we cannot have anything happening now, we are just enjoying a 'chill' night, as he would say_._ Relax. Breathe. You knew this new attitude would be trouble…you just did not anticipate the kind of trouble it would lead you to! And to make things worse, you secretly deem this as fun trouble. Exciting trouble. Trouble you just can't live without. _

_ Bozhe Moi._


	5. Turned On

**5. Turned On**

Streams of sunlight poured generously through the angled windows on the high ceiling of the shopping mall, reminding busy shoppers of the beautiful Saturday that awaited them outside. Linka was once more inundated by a sense of tranquil happiness, the same one that seemed to visit her often, lately. She tried hard to convince herself it had nothing to do with Wheeler. Or the fact that she was by his side. Or that they were holding hands like a perfect couple. No, no, no. It had to be something else… maybe the sunlight, or a day off work, or the fact that she was out shopping. She did love to shop, after all. Her private thoughts came to a halt when she realized Wheeler was saying something.

"Inspiration hit you, yet, babe?"

She turned to him and smiled a little. "Maybe I am thinking about this too hard. It is Gi, after all."

"Exactly. I say go for the dolphin lamp."

"Have you not noticed she already has three in her hut?"

"One more can't hurt."

It was Gi's birthday on Sunday and Linka wanted to find a cute gift for her friend. It did not help that everyone, including Wheeler, was ready for the occasion with gifts and ideas. Her mind had been so occupied with other things lately that she had drawn a blank when, the day before, Wheeler had told her he had scored Lakers tickets for Gi's birthday.

"After one glance at your gift, the rest of ours will look very insignificant to her," Linka pretended to complain, shoving him slightly.

"What can I say? I'm just good that way," he grinned proudly in response. One of Gi's favorite things was basketball, and over the years, she and Wheeler had developed the habit of watching the sport together, the Lakers being their favorite team.

"As long as you're not jealous that I'm taking Gi out to the game? It is kinda like a date, now that I think about it," Wheeler mused, rubbing his chin, thoughtfully.

Linka laughed a little and shrugged her shoulders. "I will let it swing for this time."

"That's 'slide', babe."

"Whatever. Oh, look," she pointed off to the distance, interest piqued. "They just opened a new Victoria Secret store. Maybe I can find something for Gi there! Some nice pajamas or a robe or…"

Wheeler groaned. "Are you seriously dragging me in there? Can't I just wait for you in the hardware store?"

"What hardware store?" Linka made a face, already pulling him in the direction of the newly opened store. "I thought you would support something like Victoria Secret."

"Oh, there's no one that supports it more than I do, trust me," he chuckled with a wink for her. "Especially when hot babes are sporting that stuff."

She elbowed him in the ribs before entering.

The store was bursting with neatly organized merchandise, floor tiles shining clean and new, the subtle pale colors of the walls contrasting the strong red of the curtains acting as luscious change rooms, situated at the back. Immediately, Linka was 'oohing' and 'aahing' at all the great gift ideas, picking out things she thought Gi may appreciate. Even Wheeler, as reluctantly as he had entered the store, had helped by pointing out an adorable pajama set with a sort of tribal mermaid designed on it.

"That is so cute!" Linka found herself squealing.

They arrived at the lingerie-concentrated area of the store and Linka noticed Wheeler scanning the shelves and displays with some interest. She tried to follow his attention. It had lingered on a red little number, complete with an intricately laced corset.

"Why am I not surprised about the red?" she had voiced before she could stop herself.

Wheeler, in fact, turned to her, taken aback for a second. Her behavior must have seemed to him more daring than usual, she guessed.

"The red's okay. Not my favorite."

"What is, then?" Linka stunned both of them further with her curiosity.

Wheeler was shrugging his shoulders, fidgeting without meeting her eyes. "I guess… maybe…white, I don't know. I kinda like the whole angelic, innocent thing."

_Had a slight blush colored his features upon his disclosure?_ wondered Linka, amazed, liking this sudden turning of the tables. It was usually he who was able to easily make her blush. Very interesting. Noticing his awkwardness in that section of the store, she decided to have mercy on him and asked that he wait for her by the change rooms. She wanted to make sure that the things she had selected for Gi were suitable size-wise, and within a few minutes, she joined Wheeler. He was patiently sitting in a chair, waiting, when she disappeared into one of the change rooms, arms full.

Linka tried on a few things, deciding that Gi would have no problems fitting into a Small, but she was distracted. Still unable to decide what had prompted her to do it, she dug through the pile of clothes and found what she was looking for. It was a delicate, snow-white lingerie piece made up of a lacy push-up bra and matching Brazilian-cut panties. She had seen it before making her way over to the change room and, with Wheeler's words fresh in her mind, she could not have helped shoving it in the pile she had been carrying. _It was really pretty and feminine… there could be no harm in trying it on, could there?_ she silently dialogued with herself, biting her lower lip, unsure. A shake of the head, a sigh, and then she was reaching for the garments, her mind made up, more or less. Linka put on the lingerie and reached to untie her hair, for the full effect.

_Not bad_, she snickered to herself, admiring her reflection in the mirror with hands on hips. The white of the fabric brought out the creamy hue of her skin, the lace embracing her curves in a way that was both soft and sexy. The bra created a very nice effect, putting on show perfectly round and generous breasts. Her slim waistline was accentuated by the low-rise style of the bottom piece; the lace trim in the back, however, did not serve to cover her behind much. One's imagination did not have to work very hard here. A rare feverish feeling took a hold of the girl and she felt like laughing. Linka collected her hair over her head then let it fall over her shoulders slowly, puckering up for the mirror. She felt a strange wave of adventure rushing over her. Fearlessness. It was like taking a bath in a near-frozen mountain stream; she knew she should be more cautious, but the current had a hold of her, and it was intoxicating.

On instinct, for fear she would change her mind if she allowed herself to think it through, she stuck her head out of the change room.

"Wheeler, I need your opinion on something," she called out, heart racing in secret.

He was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest when he heard her. Consenting with a nod of the head, he made his way to Linka's change room and disappeared inside. She watched with butterflies in her stomach as he entered distractedly without looking at her, quickly making to adjust the curtain with his back turned to her. He was about to say something but stopped readily once he took in the sight of her. Froze on the spot, actually. Linka had no way of telling what he was thinking as she stood in the middle of the change room, arms hanging awkwardly at her sides, not quite sure what she should be doing. Her body, however, was doing _plenty_ for she felt feverish all over as his glance caressed her every curve with careful devotion. He might as well be using his ring on her because she felt on fire.

When Wheeler finally fixed his attention on her eyes, Linka noticed that his own had turned darker, almost as if a storm was collecting inside them. A warm shiver animated her.

"What do you think?" The question was almost a whisper. Her mouth felt dry as she ran her tongue over her lips.

"All I know is that Gi's the last thing on my mind right now." Leave it up to Wheeler to make a joke at a time like this.

Linka must have blinked, unable to take anymore of the way he was looking at her, for the next thing she knew, Wheeler was standing in front of her, eyes boring a hole through hers. His hands went to her hair and with gentle, controlled motions, he moved her hair so that it was resting behind her shoulders. His fingertips traced an imaginary path down her arms before his hands found her hips, where they lingered before traveling up her waist. Linka watched breathless as his hands cupped her breasts, overflowing as they were in the small bra. The fabric felt even more constricting at the moment, creating an obstacle to the warmth of his hands. Her chest was rising and falling with each one of his touches and she noticed that his breathing had become more shallow, as well. Linka found herself pinned between Wheeler and the wall when he lowered his head to her neck, sure he could feel the blood rushing through her veins there. His lips kissed the sensitive skin of her neck, scorching kisses from earlobe to collarbone, placed strategically to incinerate her defenses. And damn if it wasn't working. Linka had to wrap her arms around his neck in order to continue her battle with gravity, for she felt like her legs would no longer hold her up. Her hands had tangled their way into his hair, perhaps to hold him in place as his mouth continued to show particular attention to her neck, his tongue following the path his lips had created moments earlier. Oh, but he also didn't need to be squeezing her breasts like that. Good Lord.

"Jacob…" Linka moaned out loud, feeling as if heat rays were coming out of her every pore like lava from a volcano. She was not sure she could take anymore of his sweet torture, but then he lifted his head to smile at her and it was, without a doubt, one of the sexiest sights she had ever seen. No time was wasted, however, in finding her lips and kissing her with a fervor that made her dizzy. It was a totally sweet invasion of her mouth, which Linka allowed without objection. His slow but urgent kisses were as if melting her core, and her body arched against his naturally. She needed to feel his nearness. Wheeler's hands had now traveled south to her scantly clad bottom, pulling her to him as if he were trying to mold their bodies into a perfect fusion. Linka was beyond reason and logic at this point, acting only on instincts and the signals her body was sending her brain. Absolute, pure bliss.

"Do you need any help in there?" came a cheerful, uncalled-for interruption behind the curtain. A salesclerk's voice.

Wheeler could barely take his mouth off Linka's to let her answer. She succeeded in obtaining her freedom after a couple of tries, not without feeling utterly annoyed at the intruder.

"No, I am fine," answered Linka, her voice too loud to her own ears. "I will be out in a minute."

The receding sound of footsteps was heard and Linka let out the breath she was holding. This just was not a good day for her poor heart, too much commotion! Feeling more timid now, she lifted her eyes to Wheeler and found him examining the details of her face with care. His hand was tracing her jaw line before his fingers followed the contours of her lips, all with feathery strokes. When his glance met hers, Linka felt her heart falling. Down, way down, with no safety net in sight. Addicted to his touches, she was a willing marionette when he brought her mouth to his for a tender, deep kiss. She did not want it to ever end. They could spend eternity like this. There were no eco-emergencies, no commitments, no interruptions, absolutely nothing outside of _this_.

Wheeler pulled slightly away, not without a final caress for her.

"You can get this for _my_ birthday, baby."

His fingers momentarily played with one of her bra straps and a twinkle appeared in his blue eyes. Then, he turned to leave the change room. It took Linka a few minutes to adjust to his absence, as eyes had to do when first exposed to light after a period of darkness. Her head moved to examine her reflection, and she saw that her cheeks were glowing pink, her hair disheveled and more tangled than she remembered, lips swollen from his kisses. Her heart and sentiments had been shaken by 'hurricane Wheeler' in a similar fashion.

Linka took a deep breath and placed her brain into gear. Then, with controlled movements, she changed back into her clothes, fixed her hair and picked out a few things to buy for Gi. When she exited the change room, she was the calm, rational Linka one expected to see. Except that among her other purchases was the sexy lingerie she had been wearing moments earlier.

_Not quite _the typical Linka.


	6. Cherished

**6. Cherished**

Linka finished tying her shoelaces and checked inside her small knapsack one last time. It was filled with items she would need for the day: bottle of water, beach towel, fruit and crackers, mp3 player. She remembered to take her cell phone just before closing the door to her hut. The day was already warm and clear. She lowered her sunglasses over her eyes, following the familiar trails of Hope Island. She wandered without a destination for a while, listening to the vivid calls of birds nesting in trees. It was not long before she unconsciously reached a familiar place. After a clearing, there was a large family of mango trees overlooking a rugged piece of beach. There, the waves crashed over the rocks more loudly than any other place on the Island, and the sound was simply captivating. Linka found that it always relaxed her mind.

Without much effort, she climbed one of the mango trees and sat in her favorite branch, resting her back against the solid trunk while bringing her knees close to her body. Here, she had a spectacular view of the waves. She felt a million miles away from the world.

Linka reached in her pocket for her cell phone and finally paid attention to the message that had been there for a good part of the morning. She had not felt ready to read it until now. Not until she was alone in her favorite place, where she could focus and make sense of everything. She was in desperate need of some clarity.

_Are you feeling any better this morning, babe? How's the headache? _

Linka hit the reply key and watched the cursor blink on the white screen, wondering how it was possible that there was so much she wanted to say, yet how little courage she actually had to disclose her feelings, her desires.

_I am feeling better. Thank you for asking, Yankee_

She shook her head a little at the recollection of the previous day's events at the mall. Immediately after the change room incident, Linka had continued to be on an adrenaline trip. Even if more tamely, she had taken the hand that Wheeler was holding out for her, while readily smiling at him. Sure, they had not said much to each other, and Wheeler had not made any jokes for what must have been a record coming from him. Truly impressive. The more minutes had passed, however, the more Linka had felt as if out of place. The silence between them had been too loud and reality had settled in, little by little. She had started to feel silly, embarrassed, out of line even, for having provoked Wheeler in that way. _What had been going through her head to make her do such a thing? What if they had not been interrupted? What would have happened?_ These questions had tormented Linka and she had told Wheeler that she wanted to go home because she was not feeling well. It was the first excuse that came to her. She had felt even more terrible when Wheeler had displayed his typical concern. It had caused her to feel low, manipulative, and most of all, undeserving. It could break one's heart, the affectionate way he had been holding on to her hand and his way of looking at her like a precious treasure. All the while, all she could do was have doubts and questions and regrets and…

Linka sighed. She could not understand why her fears were so strong. She felt stifled by them. Worst of all, they could easily hurt Wheeler and that thought made her almost sick to her stomach. He did not deserve that. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply before her cell phone demanded her attention. There was another message.

_I came by looking for you earlier but you weren't there…everything ok? _

Linka lifted her eyes to the waves, lost momentarily in the beauty of nature, where things could just _be_ and not worry about consequences. Oh, to be an ocean wave!

_I do not want to be found right now_

A sharp intake of breath. She was designed to hurt people it seemed, had a knack for it apparently . How else could she say something of that caliber to someone she cared so much about? She did care about Wheeler, she admitted to herself. Perhaps more than she liked to think about.

Another message came through and she anxiously opened it.

_Babe, are you mad at me? About yesterday? I knew I had crossed the line as I was crossing it. Forgive my weakness… what can I do? _

Linka wrote quickly in reply. She knew the kind of mental torture he was able to put himself through when it came to her, and she wanted to spare him that, reassure him.

_Nyet, I am not mad at you. I just want some time alone to think_

She did not have to wait long for his next message to come through.

_Ok. Are you thinking about me by any chance?_

A small smile spread over her lips. He had no idea how sad and pathetic she really was, sitting up in a mango tree, fantasizing about him and analyzing from all angles what it all meant. Instead, she wrote:

_Maybe a little_

Linka watched as a robin landed on a nearby branch, moving its little head in a comical fashion and looking at her. The bird hopped cautiously towards her, then was scared off by the incoming text message sound and flew away, into the open blue sky.

_Well, I shouldn't be keeping you from that. One last thing…you're coming to the Fox tonight, right?_

The Fox, or better the _Blue Fox Bar_, was a popular hangout in the heart of Manhattan, where usually once a month, Wheeler played with his band. They were called 'The Ruckus' and even Linka had to admit that they were quite good, despite the fact that alternative rock music was not particularly her favorite. The audience seemed to really enjoy their covers, and even their few original pieces were likeable. Wheeler's childhood friend, Frankie, had founded the band a couple of years prior. He was on lead guitar and provided the lead vocals. Frankie had recruited another friend to be the drummer and had insisted that Wheeler be on bass guitar and background vocals.

Whenever the band performed, it usually meant a hell of a good night for everyone. Wheeler was always able to get the four Planeteers a table close to the stage so they were able to enjoy the performance and even young Ma-Ti was snuck in for the occasion. Linka was taken by how much Wheeler seemed to enjoy performing; he did it with a passion that was praiseworthy. He played the guitar effortlessly and could sing better than he let anyone believe. And being on stage meant that she had an excuse to study him further (like she needed one!).

_I will be there_

It was her last message before she put away her cell phone, then she spent a few more minutes in her tree. The water was starting to look very appealing and soon after, she descended, heading for the beach. She wasted no time discarding her clothes and was soon clad only in her bikini. The ocean welcomed her and she swam until she was out of breath, one with the waves and her thoughts. Content, she made her way to her towel and laid down to bask in the glorious sunshine. Her eyes closed and it was not long before her breath was coming out soft and regular.

She slept longer than she had intended and woke up to the sun starting to set. With a yawn, she sat up, and her stomach communicated hunger. She reached for the snacks she had brought along and ate them while watching the sun's trajectory across the sky. Finally, she dressed slowly and collected her things before turning to leave.

Back in the common room, she found Gi and Ma-Ti sitting on the sofa sharing a laptop. They were deep in conversation when Linka walked in.

"There you are!" voiced Gi looking up from the screen, fingers typing feverishly on the keyboard, uninterrupted. "Did you know Wheeler was looking for you? He seemed kind of agitated. He had to leave earlier than usual for rehearsal, apparently something was up with the sound system."

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"He doesn't need a reason for wanting to see you," Gi cooed, giving her a sideway glance.

Linka did not know if such things were able to make her blush anymore. They seemed to be happening so often, lately.

"I tried contacting you, but your mind has been occupied, my friend," Ma-Ti volunteered with a warm smile.

Linka shrugged and pretended to be busy tying her hair. Ma-Ti better not have sensed any of her thoughts!

"I'm so excited for tonight!" Gi was thankfully changing the topic, causing Ma-Ti to chuckle in response.

"You are just happy because your crush, Frankie, will be there!"

"Am not!" shrieked Gi, but a ready blush had spread over her cheeks.

Linka smiled at their antics and let them argue further about the topic as she silently left the room. Once inside her own hut, she took a shower and then dried her hair with care, styling it so that it fell in loose waves over her shoulders. A cute headband seemed like a good idea tonight; she chose a black one. Sitting across from her round mirror, she leisurely applied her makeup for the evening, opting for a smoky eye look that made her eyes stand out like emeralds on her face. Then, her closet was visited, and after a few considerations, she decided to wear a dark green dress with a black sash tied just above her ribcage. Linka completed the whole with black flats for comfort and style. Grabbing her purse, she placed her personal belongings inside. Her cell phone did report, in fact, a missed call from Wheeler now that she was examining it. She dialed his number and waited, but there was no answer from him. It was likely that he was not able to hear his phone through the noisy rehearsal. Linka hung up, glanced one last time at her reflection, and satisfied with the results, she exited the hut to join her friends for an evening out in New York.

When the Planeteers arrived at the venue, the band was already on stage. A crowd had already formed at the front, dancing and rocking out to the music.

"Stupid turbulence, they've already started!" Gi complained beside Linka as they took their seats at the reserved table. The Asian girl undid her coat to show off a sexy, striped tube top atop skinny jeans and heels. Linka whistled at her, then laughed. It was something Wheeler would do, she noticed, deciding that his personality must be rubbing off on her.

"I think I just saw Frankie glancing this way," Ma-Ti bantered, and he and Kwame started snickering together. Gi stuck out her tongue at them and proceeded to sit down like a queen. Linka made herself comfortable as well, and turned her attention on the stage.

It took only a moment for her eyes to meet Wheeler's glance, which, she could tell, had been lingering on her for a while. A spontaneous smile formed on her lips and he grinned at her while playing, undisturbed.

Wheeler continued to have eyes only for her during the next couple of songs. Linka was enjoying this little game between them, all the while trying to pay attention to what Gi was saying beside her. She offered the occasional nod for her friend just to show she was listening, but Linka was distracted by Wheeler. She watched as the stage lights danced over him, noticed the serene aura of the people in the crowd, listened to the commotion at the bar since the place was beyond full, all while sipping on a delicious cocktail the waitress had decided to bring her. Drinks were always on the house for the occasion.

The show onstage had come to a halt. The band usually took a break in between sets, during which Wheeler and Frankie would come over to their table, generally act crazy, and make everyone laugh as a result.

Linka noticed, however, that the stage lights had not turned off, but softer, and that a microphone stand was placed close to a metal stool at the front of the stage. She was surprised to see that it was Wheeler who took the stage solo, an acoustic guitar in hand. He sat down and adjusted the mic to his liking.

"How's everyone doin' tonight?" he asked the crowd before receiving excited screams in return.

"Woah, ladies, I can see _you_'re doin' real well over there!" he laughed, turning to a group of girls on the left side of the stage who were shrieking and trying to get his attention.

"Anyway, I wanna thank everyone for coming out tonight, we always have a crazy good time here. The band will regroup in a few minutes, so don't worry. I wanted to try something a little different tonight, if that's cool with everyone. Now, I'm gettin' _a lot_ of crap from the other guys for doin' this. But…a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do. So without further ado, this is my own take on Ben E. King's "Stand By Me". Hope you like it."

Wheeler looked down at his guitar while lightly strumming. Then he stopped suddenly and his head shot up. His eyes found Linka and his glance locked on her.

"Babe, this is for you."

No other sound filled the air except his confident, melodious voice and the gentle notes from the guitar.

_When the night has come  
And the land is dark  
And the moon is the only light we'll see  
No I won't be afraid, oh I won't be afraid  
Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

_And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me  
Oh stand _

_Stand by me, stand by me_

_If the sky that we look upon  
Should tumble and fall  
And the mountains should crumble to the sea  
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear  
Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

_And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me  
Oh stand _

_Stand by me, stand by me_

_And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me  
Oh stand _

_Stand by me, stand by me_*

Once the song ended, the hush that had fallen over the crowd was broken. It was readily replaced with loud clapping and howls of approval.

Linka was wordless, her heart beating out of control inside her ribcage. She found it hard to breathe, oxygen had become dangerously limited. On an impulse, she stood up, almost knocking over her chair in the process, and fled towards the back door, making her way through thick crowds of people. Her legs brought her up the metal, spiral staircase, past the circle of smokers that had gathered on the small terrace, to end up in a relatively secluded place behind a column. It overlooked the busy street down below, and Linka focused on the red brake lights of the cars. She noticed her vision had become blurred and that's when she realized she was crying. With trembling fingers, she touched the warm tears that were cascading down her cheeks and wondered at them, amazed. Wheeler's performance, which had been exclusively for her, was going to be forever engraved in her memory. The loving way he had looked at her, his sweet smiles for her, the warm tone of his voice, all of it, beautiful.

A voice broke through her trance. Her name was being called. Linka peered behind the column and saw that Gi was looking for her. Once the Asian girl spotted her, she took place beside her, leaning her hands on the railing.

A minute of silence passed between the two girls, then Linka turned to look at her.

"You are not going to ask me if I am okay?" she voiced, wiping at her eyes.

"No," Gi shook her head with a small smile. "I know that those are not sad tears. I think you're just moved right now. Touched. And rightly so, may I add."

Linka's attention newly fell on the traffic while she hugged her arms to her body. She could keep no secrets from Gi, that was for sure.

"Linka, you have a wonderful guy who loves you," Gi voiced softly, rubbing her friend's back with soothing motions. "Is that what you're beginning to realize, too?"

Linka had to blink to prevent more tears from falling. "No one has ever made me feel so… so _cherished_."

"I don't know if anything in this entire world would make him happier than having you 'stand by him', to use his words. You need to let him know how you're feeling, he deserves that."

"That is the problem exactly," Linka replied, a note of bitterness in her voice. "He deserves so much better. Look at how I have treated him in the past, at how I continue to hurt him. Gi, I just do not know how to give him what he wants, what he expects. I am just so… lukewarm, and he is like…"

"Fire," Gi completed her thoughts. She then went on to shake her head. "Linka, something must have changed between you two if he braved doing what he did tonight. You don't get up on stage in front of hundreds of people and declare your love for someone if you don't have some kind of certainty that the other person is at least interested!"

Linka sighed. "I have all these feelings inside of me and I cannot make sense of any of them. What do I do, Gi?"

The girl patted Linka's hand in a comforting manner. "All that matters is what your heart is saying. If you listen close enough, you'll have the answer because it's already in your heart. It's always been there."

Gi placed a kiss on her cheek before leaving the Russian girl's side. Linka resumed watching the cars on the street below in silence, barely seeing them.

She was unsure of how much time had elapsed between the twister of thoughts collecting in her mind, but it was probably wise to head back downstairs before anyone else came looking for her. With a deep breath, she turned her eyes from the scenery and took a step away from the railing. In that moment, green eyes came into contact with blue ones and Linka froze in her movements. They stood opposite each other, concentrated glances on one another.

"You've been crying," Wheeler observed, breaking the silence between them.

Linka shook her head to indicate it was not important.

"Wheeler, what you did…it was beautiful."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, letting out a sort of sigh. "I don't know how true that is, given your reaction. Running away and crying… yeah, I don't really see that as an indication of a job well done." He sounded hurt and Linka bit her lip in response. It was down to the moment of truth. He needed to hear it. She had to do it and fast, before she lost the little courage she had.

"Wheeler, I want to say something. Please listen to me."

He appeared to do so, without even blinking.

Linka continued in a calm, controlled voice. "I have been thinking a lot about this. In fact, it is all I have been able to think about lately. I think it is best that we stop this "list challenge" thing we have started. I cannot continue it any longer on my part."

Wheeler seemed so shocked at her words that he lost his ability to move. Only his eyes were scanning her face, as if she had transformed into another person right in front of him.

"Babe, you gotta be joking," he was finally able to let out. "It hasn't even been two weeks yet, which is what we had agreed upon. It isn't fair for you to pull out now, not when we…"

Linka shook her head with arms crossed over her chest and interrupted him, restless. "I do not see a point to it anymore."

"Don't give up yet," Wheeler pleaded, desperation filling his clear blue eyes. "Linka, just… please… I'll be whatever you want me to be. You know I'd do anything for you."

Linka stood before him like an impassive ice sculpture, her face revealing nothing.

"My mind is made up," was the reply filled with finality. Her tone of voice left no room for compromises.

A gust of wind arose suddenly, like an unexpected touch of winter, and Linka shivered in the dark night. The cars on the street below continued their incessant honking, as if nothing out of the ordinary were happening. After all, a boy's broken heart was no reason to stop traffic.

* "Stand By Me" is by Ben E. King, all credit to its rigthful owners.


	7. Complete

**A/N: This chapter is ****rated M**** for its mature subject matter in parts.**

**7. Complete**

It was as if Linka could hear his heart beating inside his chest. The sound was irregular, not at all like it should be. Wheeler's jaw was set in a firm line, muscles tense. He swallowed with force before exhaling, frustration seeming to dominate his emotions.

"I shouldn't be this surprised anymore," he mumbled to himself, and without meeting her eyes, he turned his body away.

Wheeler was leaving.

With a swift move and even quicker reflexes, Linka took his wrist in both hands to block his actions. He stopped mid-movement, almost as if torn between going and staying.

"You do not want an explanation?" asked Linka, her voice too small. She had not factored in her vulnerability into this scenario when she had planned it in her head. Now, she feared he would leave her forever, finally fed up with her antics, and give up on her for good.

"No," Wheeler responded, surprising both of them. His voice was clear and firm. He freed his hand from hers and took another step back.

"Jacob, please," Linka insisted in a softer voice while meeting his eyes, this time closing the space between them by walking up to him and linking her arms around his neck. This way they were facing each other. There was no escape, for either of them.

"I cannot keep doing this," she went on with a sigh. Linka blinked, then resumed her examination of his eyes. "That list, the things I wrote, I now realize it is not as easy and clear-cut as I had made it out to be. I was very foolish to think I could control my emotions. That was my first mistake. Instead, I found out that my feelings have taken over me, completely."

Linka could tell that Wheeler had calmed down a little while listening to her. Her nearness was reassuring him, too. They had this mutual effect on each other.

"I made a second mistake, as well," she continued, while bringing her hand to his cheek for a gentle caress. "I never remotely anticipated that I would feel things I never knew existed. _Incredible_ things."

Linka neared him until their foreheads were touching. Her lungs filled with a new breath of air before explaining further the contents of her heart.

"You do that to me, Yankee. It is all at once wonderful, surprising, overwhelming, and frustrating because I cannot do without any of it. I want you near me, even in the midst of our arguments. When you are with me, everything fits. I could be having the worst day of my life and all it takes is one look from you to uplift me. Do you realize how incredibly _needy_ that sounds? Given my viewpoint on that, you can understand why that would scare me so much. But something has happened recently. I have realized there is something that is able to tear down this fear, something that is freeing, strong and… well, something that I can be sure of, because I know that it will never, ever change."

Linka's lips met his briefly and as softly as butterfly wings. A bright smile animated her face as she voiced, "I am in love with you. And that is why I think our agreement is no longer valid."

She tried to gauge his reaction to her revelation, but Wheeler had become unreadable. His mouth opened in shock while his eyes scanned her face wildly. It would have been funny had it not been such a delicate moment. He was as if frozen and Linka had to nudge him to ascertain he was still with her.

"What do you say to that, Yankee?"

Words would not come to him and he did the next best thing. He kissed her. His arms circled her waist to crush her body against his, not letting go of his hold. Nope, no communication problems there, for his mouth was doing plenty. Wicked things, mostly. Linka found that she was completely unaware of the time or space surrounding her. Wheeler was the only thing that mattered.

"Tell me again," she heard him say through uneven breathing once his lips had parted from hers. Linka opened her eyes slowly and met his blue gaze, her senses still hazy and unfocused after his contact.

"I love you," was her declaration, voice resembling velvet.

Wheeler cupped her face in his palms, eyes never leaving hers, unable to turn away.

"You don't know how many times I've wished to hear those words from you, Linka. It was the hope that prevented me from giving up."

Linka's eyes must have given away her state of mind because Wheeler's face became concerned as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"How can you ever forgive me, Jacob? I have been nothing but selfish and spineless and untrusting and…"

"Shh," Wheeler silenced her, giving her a soft kiss to emphasize his point. "I won't let you talk that way about the woman I love."

Her heart all but leaped at his words. It was as if a stormy ocean had been inside her all this time, waves tossing and churning violently before crashing on the shore. But now, everything was perfectly still. Calm. Transfixing.

"Do you want to know about her? Well, it's hard to put into words exactly, but whenever I'm around her, I lose the ability to think clearly. It's like she's put me under this crazy spell that binds me to her. She's the strongest woman I know. When there is an emergency, she is ready to place the entire world on her shoulders with no regard for her personal safety. She does adorable things like leave notes around the house with little funny sketches just to get a smile out of the team. When she cries, she hides it because she doesn't want anyone to worry about her. Once, she ate some pretty god-awful cookies Ma-Ti baked just so his feelings wouldn't be hurt. If that's not honorable, I don't know what is! The best part is when she smiles, though. It's like seeing the sun rising after the longest night of your life. I especially like the way she feels in my arms when I'm cuddling her, she softens and lets her walls come down. That's how I know she trusts me. She makes me feel dizzy, like I'm stuck at the top of a rollercoaster, just pumped up waiting for things to come. I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world; she's more precious than anything my eyes have ever seen."

A smile spread on Linka's lips and she looked up at him, coyly. His words felt like sunshine on her skin and she savored their warmth.

Wheeler moved his arms so that they rested about her waist and kissed her lips.

"Babe, I'll never be able to detach myself from you tonight. You need to stay right here, in my arms."

Linka almost giggled at the serious tone of voice he used, and she lowered her head to rest on his shoulder, her arms embracing him. She felt light, weightless. _Complete_, like she'd never need anything ever again.

"Can we just stay here in the city tonight? I do not want to get on the Geocruiser and go home," Linka said, closing her eyes against the warmth and comfort of Wheeler's body.

He placed a kiss on her neck, behind her earlobe. "New York got you enthralled all of a sudden, princess?" There was a grin in his voice.

"Must be those Yankees," she teased in turn, smiling contently. No night had ever been so magical before. It was as if everything was perfectly aligned in the universe. At least, what she knew with certainty was that her soul was finally at peace in the arms of the man she loved.

Eventually, the young lovers made their way back downstairs to join the rest of their friends, but everything had changed. Linka experienced things differently because of her preoccupation with Wheeler. He had become like an obsession to her. For example, she had to be holding his hand or be able to touch him in some other way, not to mention that all she longed for were his kisses. She saw that he was barely paying attention to anything around him, as well, and their eyes searched for one another incessantly. It felt wrong being there in the midst of all those people. Linka found that the crowd had become suffocating.

In fact, they did not last long and were soon after walking the sidewalks of Manhattan, arms around each other. Linka was emanating happiness and could barely see the surroundings around her. Everything had become mere glints of flashing lights. It was as if she were in a soft, hazy dream that appeared to have no end. She remembered little of the conversation they had about getting a hotel for it was getting to be very late at night, before she found they had entered one. A fancier one than she expected, but this one had been within walking distance and that's all that mattered at the moment. While Wheeler was at the front desk, Linka took a moment to examine herself in the long, elegant mirrors of the lobby. She ran her hands through her hair, noting her cheeks were rosy and her eyes lively.

Wheeler returned almost instantaneously and he reached for her hand, leading her to the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Linka newly found herself in his arms, their lips finding each other as if they had been in denial for too long. In the course of the evening, she and Wheeler had become two magnets. He moved, she moved. Being apart took too much energy, it was unbearable; but gravitating towards each other was natural. In fact, it could not be helped. All willpower had evaporated from Linka's bones, all she felt was desire.

They were still locked in a passionate kiss when Wheeler attempted to open the door to their room. After a few tries and a couple of laughs, he was able to do so and he moved both himself and Linka inside.

The room was bathed in the bright hue of the full moon that glimmered through the large glass doors of the balcony. There almost seemed to be no use for any artificial lighting.

"Babe, I've barely had two drinks tonight yet I feel like I'm drunk!" Wheeler was saying, nuzzling her neck. "You're intoxicating. What am I gonna do with you?"

Linka smiled satisfied and intertwined her arms about his neck, standing on her tip toes to extend her body against his and captured his lips. She, too, felt inebriated by him, as if in a frenzy. His hands were caressing her bare shoulders and she felt the need to have them all over her, all at once.

Linka's heart was beating madly in her chest as she took a step back from Wheeler. Then, with sure movements, her fingers found the zipper on the side of her dress and she pulled it downwards. A sense of satisfaction filled her when she watched Wheeler's glance attentively following her movements. Her task was nearly complete when he placed his hand over hers, inhibiting her movements. His eyes met hers extendedly.

"Linka, are you sure about this? We don't have to do anything tonight, that's not why I brought you here."

The tone of his voice, the love that it carried, further set off a chain of emotions inside her being. All of them were tying her to him, and she had to be closer to him. The space between was becoming an intolerable frustration, something to be eliminated with urgency.

"I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life, Jacob."

Linka would have applauded at herself is she could have done so. Her tone of voice sultry, her glance certain, her movements swift as she finished unfastening her dress until it fell in a pool at her feet. Played like a beautifully seductive woman, indeed. A wave of fulfillment washed over her when she saw that Wheeler was losing his battle with self-control. It was in his eyes; a primal hunger resided there when he let them wander over her curves clad only in undergarments. His hands tangled in her hair and he brought her closer with one movement.

"I'm also gonna have to do something about you using my name like that. It's utterly dangerous coming from you," he whispered against her lips with a grin, before kissing her so deeply that Linka abandoned her body against his and let out a moan. Damn. Clothes. Clothes were a problem and they had to go. She pulled at his shirt and helped him remove it, before doing the same with his jeans. Wheeler had lifted her up at this point as if he wanted to carry her, and she aided him by wrapping her legs around his waist, their lips never separating. He sat her on the edge of the bed and it only took her a moment to recline over it, bringing Wheeler with her.

Definitely liking this new position better because it allowed for skin-on-skin contact, Linka sighed contently and let her hands run across the length of his bare back, up his arms and across his chest, solid muscle meeting her touch. This was all her territory now, _exclusively_ hers. Wheeler's lips were journeying down her neck and all she could do was cradle his head in her hands. It was too much, the sensation of his tongue running along the skin there, the burning lips delivering slow caresses. Nothing short of lava kisses. She mumbled something incoherent, surely dictated by passion, and lost herself in his actions.

Wheeler's amusement was present in his voice when his mouth neared her ear. "I think I found one of your weak spots. I bet you I can find others, too."

Linka pouted a little that his lips were no longer on her skin. She needed his attention on her in a way that was beyond alarming.

"Do you not remember what happened the last time you bet me something, Yankee?"

This caused him to laugh momentarily, but then her lips caught his interest once more. He moved his hands to her breasts, but unsatisfied with the fabric that covered them, his fingers worked to unclasp the bra behind her back. Her body free of the constricting garment, Wheeler was finally able to run his hands over the creamy skin of her breasts. Soon after, his mouth took the place of his hands, which greatly won him Linka's approval. It was as if wildfire was spreading through her, head to toes, when she felt his tongue greedily glide over the valley between her breasts until reaching her nipple, paying too-careful attention to the bud before giving the other one similar attention. Linka's natural reaction was to arch against his body, his to push back against hers. Linka was lost, spiraling down into a well of carnal passion. Her breath was coming out more ragged now that she realized he had skillfully removed her panties, wasting no time in caressing her where she wanted it most. She could do nothing but purr like a cat and moan out. Soon the touches became too fiery, like torture, and she focused on getting him out of his boxers. It was all she could do to retain the little shreds of sanity still available to her.

"Babe…"

"I want you," she found her voice in the midst of her heavy breathing and pulled him down for a long kiss, letting it communicate the things she wished to add.

Their love-making was almost frenetic, a passion-filled introduction to each other. The second time was more tender and unhurried, with dizzying results. When they made love for the third time, it was a teasing exploration of each other's bodies, as if they had been lovers for centuries. Needless to say, it was early morning when they fell asleep tightly wound in each other's arms, under the covers of the large hotel bed.

It was in this position that Linka found herself in when she blinked her eyes open. The room was illuminated by daylight now and the clock beside the bed read 7:09am. _Definitely too early for the kind of night she'd just had_, thought Linka with a small smile, as she readjusted her head on Wheeler's bare chest. She let out a satisfied sigh and closed her eyes.

"You awake?" Wheeler stirred underneath her, his arms locking more tightly around her frame.

"Hmm," she murmured in reply before placing a kiss on his neck.

"Someone keep you up late last night?"

Linka attempted to move so she could look him in the eyes while dishing out an appropriate response, but pain made itself aware in her body.

"Ow," she cringed. "I am so sore, Yankee. That is all your fault!"

"My fault? Babe, if I recall correctly, you started it all by undressing."

"Da, but you started it all before that by seducing me."

"I can't help it if I'm incredibly sexy!"

She smacked him for his arrogance, but the man was right!

Wheeler lifted her face to his with the gentlest of movements and kissed her lips at length. This proved to Linka that she could go from being lucid to being incoherent in a matter of seconds when one of his kisses was concerned.

"Are you very sore?" he asked, scanning her eyes while affectionately caressing her hair. Linka had to blink to ease up the spell he cast.

"Nyet," she shook her head. "That will go away soon. But last night… that will be with me forever, how amazing it was, every single detail, _you_."

Linka liked the way he smiled when she revealed these kinds of personal revelations. It was the warmest smile he possessed and it made something inside her stir.

"I can't believe you're mine."

"Believe it," she grinned up at him.

"You don't realize how perfect you are," Wheeler went on, letting his hand run up her spine in a caress. "Every inch of you. You're gonna have a hard time keeping me off you, babe."

"I do not want you off me," she purred in his ear, cuddling up to him. "I want you _on_ me."

"You know, you're only gonna get in trouble sayin' things like that," he warned her, bringing her fingertips to his mouth to kiss them delicately.

"I cannot get in trouble now, I can barely move." She readjusted her head on his chest and newly closed her eyes, comfortable and sleepy again.

"When we get up, Jacob, can we have a big American breakfast? I am craving pancakes and waffles with mountains of fruit and whipped cream on them. Oh, and maybe bacon and toast, too. That would be nice."

"The breakfast of champions," Wheeler teased with a chuckle. He was playing with her hair and the movement was soothing. "Sure thing, darling. Worked up an appetite, huh?"

"I would smack you but I am almost asleep," she murmured and he laughed softly. He placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders so that they were covering her bare back.

Linka was drifting off to sleep in the cocoon that the blankets and his arms provided before she heard him speak.

"You know that I love you, right?"

She felt a warm glow in her heart, touched that he could put so much concern into one question. As if his whole universe depended on her one answer.

"I know," she readily reassured him, reaching down to take his hand. "I love you, too."

They fell asleep in each other's arms once more, fingers laced together, as the sun's early rays announced the beginning of a brand new day.


End file.
